Amusement apparatus.



No. 721,631. Y PATBNTED 313.24, 1903.

' J. BROWN.

AMUSBMENT APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 18, 1902.

THE Nnms ravens co.. Pnooinna, WASHINGTON. D. c.

iNo. 721,631. 1 lPAtIENTED PEB. 24, 1903.

J. BROWN. v AMUSBMBNT APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FII-ED NOV. 18, 1902.

N0 MODEL.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

.7C 'de 'h2' .dl

' JL BROWN. l AMUSEMENT APPARATUS.

PATBNTED PEB. 24, 19.0.39'

APPLIOATION FILED Nov. 1a, l1902. l s SHEETS-SHEETS,

N0 MODEL.4

TNB MORRIS PrERSpo. FNo'roLlTHa. WASHINGTUN, D4

UNITED STATEs PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH BROWN, OF SALEM, MASSACHUSETTS.

VV Alvluslilvl ENT APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming* part of Letters Patent No. 721,631, dated February 24, 1903.

' Applicant met November 18,1902. serai No.1s1,s1z. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom t may concern: y

Be it known that I, JOSEPH BROWN, of Salem, county of Essex, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Amuse- `ment Apparatus, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts.

My invention relates to an amusement apparatus of the general character of a gravityrailway in which a wooden pony having a saddle for the rider is mounted on wheels and rolls down on a track which is provided with undulations and curves in order to give the sensation of riding on horseback. In apparatus of this character it has been Icustomary When a ligure representing a pony has been employed to cnt the figure in two` pieces across the body close to the fore legs and also to form the carrier therefor in two sections to permit one section to swing with respect to the other, so that the whole device may move readily about the curves of the track or runway. The figure of the pony and the carrier thus separated is weakened and rendered complicated and diitcult to set up,V

and it often happens that the limbs of the rider are pinched by the parts of the figure as they are swung together.

The object of my invention is to provide a form of carrier which enables the ligure to be readily and securely attached thereto and which does not necessitate the formation of the figure in two parts.

Further objects of my invention are tol improve prior constructions in other particulars to be hereinafter described.

For an understanding of the means employed by me :in accomplishing these objects reference is now made to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a side elevation of a gravityrailway made according to my invention. Fig. 2 is a centrallongitudinal cross-section, on a larger scale, of the carrier and one of the figures mountedjth'ereon. Fig. 3 isa plan view of the under side of the figure and carrier. Fig. 4 is a cross-section on the line a.' of Fig. 2. Fig. 5l is a plan view of a portion of the track. Fig. 6 isa perspective view of the frame of the carrier-body. Figs. 7 and S are cross-sections on an enlarged scale, taken on the lines y y and z e' ot' Fig. 2, respectively.

In Fig. 1 I illustrate a form of gravity-railway having'an endless track l, support-ed on .a structure 2, said track being formed with a steep inclined portion 3 and a more gradually inclined portion 4, extending from the top of the incline 3 down to the bottom thereof and being provided with the desired number of'curves and undulations. A series of brackets a are mounted on the structure 2, and a topl or supporting rail b is secured to the upper end of each bracket with its bearing-face uppermost. Two guardrails c o' are secured on each side of said brackets with their bearing-faces 'in an upright position.

I provide a carrier d, having a frame which is preferably rectangular in form, said frame comprising ltwo solid square end pieces d' d2, two side bearing-supports d3 d4, and a top support d5. A yoke, comprising two armsd6 (Z7, is secured to the inner sides of said supports d3 d4 d5, and said arms extend horizontally from supports di d4 in opposite directions and then extend down vertically, as shown in Figs. 4 and 6. The inner sides of said arms are provided with bearing-brackets d8 dg, respec-` tively. Two wheels c andf are journaled on axles e f', respectively, midway between the bearing-supports d5 (Z4, the ends of said axles being mounted in said supports. 'The axles e' f arelocated at opposite sides of the yoke Z6 d7, the front axle e being considerably nearer axle e thanY axle f', for reasons which herein after appear. These wheels ef are each f2 f3, respectively, forming grooved bearingfaces therein, said flanges being a vsufficient distance apart to permit the bottom of the grooves to rest on the face or top of rail b, said anges limiting the transverse movement of the wheels with respect thereto,y yet permitting a certain freedom or looseness of movement to prevent binding at the curves. The front wheel e is held from movement from its middle position by sleeves. c4,whicl1 are arranged on said shaft c and interposed between the wheel and the bearing-supports d3 d4. The wheel f is free to slide longitudinally on the shaft f', but is normally held in its middle position by means of stift springs f4,

provided with retaining side lflanges 'e2 e3 and which are interposed between the hub of the Wheel and the bearing-supports. Guard-rolls g g are journaled on vertical shafts g4 g5, which have their opposite ends secured in the brackets d8 (79, respectively, said guard-rolls being in the form of spools, each having a relatively long bearing-surface with respect to the surface of the guard-rails c c, which they engage, and end iianges g2 g3.

The particular forni of figure which the carrier'cl is primarily adapted to support is the ligure of a pony 7L, as indicated in Figs. l and 2. The body of the pony is provided with a longitudinal groove 7L in its under side,which extends from end to end, as indicated in Figs. 2, 3, and 4. A rectangular-shaped recess 71,2 is formed in the middle of the body, leading from the bottom of the grooves 7L', and the carrier-frame is fitted into said recess, so that the body of the figure 7i is supported on the top of the carrier-frame and on the horizontal portion of the arms d d? and is held from tippingsidewise by the vertical sides of the frame c7 and the vertical portion of the arms C76 C77, as indicated in Fig. 4. Bolts 7L3are preferably passed through the sides ofthe body 7L and are threaded into the vertical portion of the arms d6 f77, which are set in to vertical grooves in said sides, (see Fig. 3,) so as to firmly secure the body to the carrier. Other securing means between the figure and carrier are not essential, and, in fact, the bolts 71,3 are only used as a matter of precaution. As shown in the drawings, the figure of the pony is made all in one rigid piece, which is highly advantageous for reasons other than those already pointed out. This arrangement, moreover, enables the figure to be supported above its center of gravity and just below the seat of the rider, the wheels ef being journaled within recess 71,2 and protruding below the bottom of the groove 7L only far enough to hold the body out of contact with the top rail b. This reduces the tendency of the carrier to leave the track to a minimum, thereby avoiding the danger of accidents from this source. The guard-rolls g g', which bear against the guard-rails c c', hold the carrier in an upright position and make itimpossible for the wheels ef to leave the track b. The transversely-movable rear wheel f permits the latter to move out of line with the front wheel as the carrier passes about the curves, so that the iianges of the wheels do not bind on the rail b to an appreciable extent, the slight looseness between the danges and the rail in conjunction with the sidewise movement of the rear wheel making it unnecessary to have either wheel pivoted with respect to the other. By arranging the yoke d6 dclose to the front wheel e and considerably in advance of the rear wheelf the guard-rolls g g' will not interfere with the transverse movement of the rear wheel, and yet they are perfectly effective in performing their functions when arranged in this position.

In connection with the above-described device I preferably employ aform of lifting apparatus by means of which the carrier may be stopped at the end of the ride to permit the rider to dismount and then be lifted to the starting-point. This means comprises a clamp having two arms 7,; 7.3, pivoted between their ends on a bolt 7c', which passes through the bearing-support d3 near the rear end of the cai'iiei'-frame. The upper ends of said arms 7a are connected by a bolt 7a2, and the lower ends are normally held apart by a spring t3. The inner sides of arms 7c are provided with rubber cushions or faces 7a4 near their lower ends, which are set into recesses in said arms and held therein by any suitable means. Two parallel clamping-railsj j extend from the lower end of the steeper incline 3 of the track up to the starting-point. Said rails j 7" are set a short distance apart parallel to the rails of the track and in such a position that the lower ends of the clamping-arms 7c will pass into and through the slot formed thereby as they are carried up the incline. Each end of each rail j j' is beveled or iared outwardly, so that the slot therebetween is iiaring at each end, as indicated in Fig. 5. A lifting-cable n passes one and a half times about a drivingpulley o, which may be driven by a motor l), and over a sheave q, which is arranged at the upper end of the incline 3, the pulley o and sheave q being arranged so that the cable is drawn parallel to the two railsjj', above and closely adjacent thereto, as indicated in Figs. l, 2, 4. The momentum of the carrier d and the weight which it carries causes the carrier to roll up the incline 3 far enough to force the lower ends of the clamping-arms 7c between the rails jj and press their rubber faces 7c"1 into firm engagement with the opposite sides of the lifting-cable n, so that the carrier becomes securely connected therewith, this connection being maintained so long as the arms of the clamp are held together by the clamping-rails. The friction of the clamp-arms with the railsjj will stop the carrier, so that the rider may dismount on a conveniently-located platform s. The operator then starts the motor driving'the cable n, thus lifting the carrier, and with it the figure 7L, up the incline 8 until it reaches the horizontal portion at the top thereof. When the carrier reaches this point, the clamp 7.; passes beyond the ends of the rails jy", so that the spring 7a3 forces the arms of the clamp apart, disconnecting the carrier from the lifting-cable.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. An amusement apparatus comprising the figure or body having a groove in its under side extending longitudinally from end to end thereof, and a recess extending upwardly from the bottom of the groove, a carrier having its frame fitted in said recess, a supporting-rail, two wheels journaled in the carrierframe and adapted to roll on said rail, apair IOO IIO

engage opposite sides thereof, and means con-` nected to said carrier for engaging said guardrails, substantially as described.

3. An amusement apparatus comprising two guard-rails, a supporting-rail between said guard-rails, a carrier-body having two wheels journaled therein and rolling on said supporting-rail, each wheel having a grooved face into kwhich the rail may sit, depending supports secured to opposite sides of the carrier between said wheels, and rolls journaled therein, and bearing against said guard-rails, substantially as described.

4. An amusement apparatus comprising two guard-rails having upright bearing-faces and a supporting-rail between and above said guard-rails, a carrier-body having two wheels journaled therein rolling ou-top of said supporting-rail, each wheel having a grooved face into which the rail may sit, depending supports connected to opposite sides of the carrier between said wheels, and rollsjournaled therein and bearing against said guard-rails, said rolls having end flanges to engage the sides of the rolls, substantially as described.

5. An amusement apparatus comprising two guard-rai1s having upright bearing-faces upper surface of said supporting-rammeansy permitting transverse movement -of the rear wheel with respect to the carrier, and means connected to said carrier forv engaging said guard-rails in front of said rear wheel, substantially as described.

7. An amusement apparatus comprisingtwo guard-rails and a supporting-rail between and above said guardrails,a carrier-body having two wheels journaled therein and rolling on the face of said supporting-rail, means permitting transverse movement of the rear wheel with respect to the carrier, springs on opposite sides of said rear wheel acting to move the same to its middle'position, and means connected to said carrier for engaging said guard-rails in front of said rear wheel, substantially as described.

.In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presencelof two subscribing witnesses.

JOSEPH BROWN.y

Witnesses:

- Louis H. HARRIMAN,

'I-I. B. DAVIS. 

